Knitted glove and method of making same



G. P. BOSWURTH.

KNITTED GLOVE AND METHOD OF MAKING SAME.

APPLICATION FILED JULY5. i919.

Patented Apr. 18, 1922.

Ira/226211302 fieor ge liosworfi w,

M W 3 a UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

GEORGE P. BOSWORTH, OF CENTRAL FALLS, RHODE ISLAND, ASSIGNOR- T0HEMPHILL COMPANY, OF PAWTUGKET, RHODE ISLAND, A CORPORATION OFMASSACHUSETTS.

KNITTED GLOVE AND METHOD OF MAKING SAME.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Apr. 18, 1922.

Application filed July 5, 1919. Serial No. 308,882.

T 0 all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, GEORGE P. Boswoa'rn, a citizen of the United States,and a resident of Central Falls, in the county of Providence and Stateof Rhode Island, have invented an Improvement in Knitted Gloves andMethods of Making Same, of which the following description, inconnection wlth the accompanying drawings, is a specification, likecharacters on the drawings representing like parts.

This invention relates to knitted gloves and to the method of making thesame. The invention particularly relates to machine knitted gloves, andis an improvement over the gloves disclosed in my co-pending applicationSerial No. 262,645, filed November 15, 1918.

The object of the invention is to provlde a neatly fitting glove, theblank whereof has structural features which not only effect theproduction of a neatly fitting glove, but greatly facilitate the finalseaming operations of said glove. In the accompanying drawings, I havemerely for the purposes of illustration disclosed certain embodiments ofmy invention Wherein,

Fig. 1 is a front elevation of a completed glove; and

Fig. 2 is a perspective view of the blank therefor.

Although I shall herein refer to the glove as a machine knitted gloveand to its formation upon a machine of the general type known as acircular knitting machine wherein either the needle carrier or theknitting cams may have relative rotary movement, it is distinctly to beunderstoorLthat within thescope and purpose of the invention, the glovemay be knitted otherwise as by hand or upon other types of machines thanthose to which reference has been made; as, for example, upon a straightbar knitting machine or knitting frame so-called.

In the drawings, referring particularly to Fig. 1, I have illustrated aglove haying a fashioned or shaped wrist 1, a tapering hand 2, a thumb 3formed integral with the hand. said thumb being neatly shaped ashereinaftermore fully set forth. Alsolformed integral with the hand 2 Ihave illustrated suitably shaped first, second, third and fourth fingers4, 5, 6 and 7 respectively, sa d fingers being separated by integrallyknitted gussets 8, 9 and 10 between the first and second, second andthird, and third and fourth fingers respectively. It will be obviousthat the knitting of the blank from which the glove illustrated in Fig.1 is composed, which blank is shown more fully in Fig. 2, may be startedeither at the end of the front side of the hand, or it may be start edat the end of the back side thereof, but herein knitting preferablybegins at the end 11 of the portion of the strip constituting the palmof the hand. Furthermore, knitting may be begun upon a group of needlesless than the full number of needles employed in the machine.Preferably, however, the knitting begins upon the full set of needles toknit the wrist 1. but during the formation of said wrist the loops arepreferably made shorter at the start, and gradually increased in lengthuntil the line 1212 is reached, whereby said wrist section Will beroperly shaped or fashioned to fit the smaller part of the wrist of thewearer thereof. It will likewise be obvious that similar results may beobtained by employing in connection with the varying of the length ofthe loops a different type of yarn, that is to say, a smaller yarn thanthat employed in knitting the hand and finger portions of the glove andby so doing the loops of the fabric may be drawn smaller and thus effectthe desired shaping or fashioning of the wrist. Having reached the line1212 knitting is continued upon the full complement of needles to knitan oppositely selvaged strip as heretofore, up to the base 13 of thethumb 3.

It is within the scope and purpose of the invention to form a thumbseparately. that is, upon a different machine, and attach the same inany desired manner to the strip constituting the glove blank, but here'mthe thumb is formed integral with the said strip. Therefore, when saidbase line 13 is reached, all of the needles except those reguired toknit the thumb strip. are withrawn from action retaining their loops,and knitting then continues upon the full thumb group of needles for aportion of the lengthof said strip, that is, in the present instance, tothe points 14, 14.

It is sometimes desirable, as in the present case, to produce a gloveblank consisting of a single longitudinal strip having single widthfinger strips, each twice the length of the finger and foldedtransversely at the tips and also to form a thumb strip in a similarmanner, that is, having a strip of fabric the width of the thumb, butdouble the length thereof, knitted integral with the front or palmportion of the hand covering of the glove, and when such a glove isformed the final stitching or seaming operations, whereby the ed es ofthe hand, thumb and finger covering are properly united, will be greatlyassisted if the edges of said several strips are tied together orintegrally united at predetermined intervals in and by the knittingoperation. The same operations which effect the uniting of the oppositeedges of said finger, thumb and hand strips also effect the shaping ofthe fingers so as to give all of the digit coverings a gradual taperfrom the bases thereof to their tips, thereby producing a very neat andnicely fitting glove.

In order to effect the formation of said taper and also to form theuniting loops, I employ a system herein consisting of narrowing andwidening by means of suitable picker instrumentalities, and thesenarrowing and widening operations may take lace at desired intervalsalong the edges of the said strips. The first of such loops, I haveshown at 14-14 in the thumb strip of the glove, and to produce them. theknitting of the thumb strip is commenced upon the full set of thumbneedles until the points I i-14 are reached, at which points the two endneedles of the group are withdrawn from action by suitable well-knownmeans, but retaining their loops. Knitting then proceeds upon thelessened number of needles and reciprocatingly as before until thepoints 1515 on opposite sides of the thumb strip are reached, at whichpoints the next needles of the series of needles forming said thumbstrip are withdrawn from action retaining their loops. Thus the width ofthe strip will again be reduced by the spaces of two needles, one ateach side of the said strip.

In the present instance, the points 15*15 indicate the beginning of thefashioning of the tip of the thumb, although it is to be understood thatthe glove is not limited to this construction, for if desired theknitting may continue for a number of courses upon said narrowed seriesof needles until the tip end of the thumb is reached. Preferably,however, the thumb is as hereinbefore described, fashioned by narrowingand widening, and t accomplish this result, the opposite end needles ofthe series are gradually withdrawn herein at successive courses untilthe strip has been narrowed the required amount, all of said withdrawnneedles retaining their loops in the usual well-known manner. When saidstrip has been narrowed 'sufliciently, widening thereof is next effectedby the gradual restoration of the previously withdrawn needles in areverw order to that of their withdrawal thereby to complete thenarrowing and widening courses 16-16 upon opposite sides of the tip ofthe thumb strip. The knitting of the said tip having proceeded to thepoints 1515 the needles which were 'withdrawn at these points are againrestored to operation and knitting will continue thereon to knit theback portion of the thumb strip from the points 1515 to the points14-14. At the points 14-44 the needles which were withdrawn during theknitting of the forward or front portion of said strip are againrestored to action to unite the front and back faces of said thumb stripby the inter-knitting of new loops formed upon said restored needleswith the loops previously held by said needles during the period ofinaction. 85

From the points 1414 to the base of said thumb all of the thumb needleswill be functioned to knit an oppositely selvaged strip equal in widthto the corresponding front section thereof. The effect of the operationsjust described is to produce a double length, single width, thumb stripfashioned at its tip and having adjacent portions of the folds thereofunited by loops formed in and by the knitting operation.

When knitting of the thumb strip has been completed, the remainingneedles of the hand are again restored to action and knitting willproceed thereon reciprocatingly as before. to knit the remainingportions of the 100 palm of the hand.

It is often desirable and in the present case I have shown, the frontand back sections of the hand united by loops formed in and by theknitting operations in the same 10 manner as were the front and backfolds of the thumb strip and such uniting loops may be formed atpredetermined intervals along the opposite edges of the hand strip.Herein I have illustrated uniting loops at 11 17-17 which loops areformed as heretofore described, that is, when knitting has proceeded tothe oint where it is desired to unite the edges of the strip, oppositeend needles of the series of needles forming said 115 strip arewithdrawn from action, but retaining their loops, and thereafterknitting proceeds upon the lessened series of loops until the nextuniting loops are to be formed or until some variation in the knittingof the 120 strip is to occur. In the form of blank illustrated in Fig. 2I have shown a second set of uniting loops 18-18 formed substantiallycoincident with the base line of the fingers 4, 5. 6 and 7 so that whenknitting has 125 reached the oourse corresponding to the points l818,the opposite end needles of the series of needles now in use arewithdrawn from action, but retaining their loops. Following theoperations just described, the 18 various strips composing the fingers4, 5, 6 and 7 are knitted in any desired sequence or said strips may beknitted two or more at a time. For convenience, however, I will describethe operation as starting with the strip composing the little or fourthfinger 7, which strip is knitted upon a selected group of needles, whilethe remaining needles of the series upon which the hand strip wasknitted are withdrawn from action retaining their loops. Knitting nowproceeds upon said selected group of needles to knit reciprocatingly, astrip having oppositely selvaged edges and extending to the points 19-19of said strip, and here again needles are withdrawn, preferabl theopposite end needles of the series to e ect a further narrowing of thesaid strip. Needles which are thus withdrawn from action retain theirloops until again restored to action as hereinafter set forth.

Knitting is continued upon the lessened series of needles until the nextnarrowing point in the finger strip is reached, which herein occurs atthe base of the tapered tip of said finger 7 as shown at 20-20, and fromthese points on for a predetermined number of courses narrowingcontinues in the usual manner either in consecutive courses or followingtwo or more similar courses, to fashion the tip portion of said littlefinger strip. hen the narrowest course has been knitted, widening isthen effected by the restoration in reverse order, of the withdrawnneedles to unite the loops of said withdrawn needles with loops formedthereon, thus producing the usual narrowing seams 2121. From the points20 20 to the points 1919 knitting proceedsto form the back section ofthe strip for the finger 7, the same having oppositely selvaged edgesand corresponding in width with the adjacent front portions of saidstrips. At 1919 the withdrawn end needles are restored to effect theunion of the edges of the front and back sections or folds of saidfinger 7, and the full set of fourth finger needles being now in action,knitting will continue thereon until the base line of said finger isreached and the loop at 18 formed by restoration of the needlepreviously withdrawn at this point, to unite the front and back folds ofsaid finger and hand strips.

Although I do not limit myself to the formation of the third fingerstrip as the next step in the operation of knitting the glove, I willnevertheless for convenience at this time describe the formation of saidthird finger strip. To accomplish this, a

machine bein withdrawn from action, but retaining their loops in theusual manner. By employing a portion of the needles previously used inknitting the strip of the finger 7, an over-lapping of the third andfourth finger strips will be effected, which over-lapping upon thesubsequent stitching together of the adjacent or corresponding edges ofthe finger strips produces the gusset 10.

The method of knitting the third finger strip is substantially the sameas in the previous case,that is,a double length single width strip willbe formed having a fashioned tip 22 produced by narrowing and widening,and the front and back folds will be united at certain intervals hereinshown at 23-23 by loops formed by narrowing and widening. Following theformation of the strip for the finger 6, the strip for the finger 5 willbe formed in a similar manner, that is, upon a selected group ofneedles, which group includes a portion of the needles used in knit tingthe strip of the finger 6, thus to form the gusset 9 by the over-lappingof said finger strip, and the previously formed finger strip, the frontand back folds of the strip for the finger 5 will be tapered as in theprevious instances, and the tip thereof will be fashioned at flat-24 bynarrowing and widening. Also the front and back folds of this fingerstrip which is automatically doubled during the narrowing and widenin ofthe tip thereof will be united at interva s as for example at 25-25 by asingle course of narrowing and widening.

Likewise the first finger strip will be formed and upon a selected groupof needles' including a portion of the needles used in the knittingstrip for the second finger 5. This finger is fashioned at the tip 26which automatically doubles said strip, and the front and back foldsthereof are also united at 27-27 by loops formed in and by the unitingoperation. 1

The first and second finger strips are overlapped as in the previouscases to produce the integral gusset 8. When all of the finger stripshave been completed to the line 1818 and the needles withdrawn at thesepoints, during the formation of the front strips, have been restored,knittin then continues upon all of the needles of tie several fingergroups and said restored needles to form an oppositely selvaged backhand strip in length equal to the distance between the points 18 and 17when the points 17-17 are reached in the knitting operation, the needleswithdrawn at these points are restored to operation, thus completingthe. restoration of all withdrawn needles, and upon the full complementof needles, knitting proceeds to form the back portion of the wrist 1preferably to correspond with the front strip thereof. Having nowcompleted the knitting 0peratio'ns of the glove blank, said blank may bremoved from the machine and the corresponding edges of the front andback, thumb, hand and finger strips, united by stitching, whichoperation is assisted mate- 'rially by the uniting loops produced atvarious points along the edges of the several sections of the gloveblank which loops insure a perfect registering of the front and backfolds thereof.

Although I have described the formation of the uniting loops as takingplace at opposite ends of the same courses it will be evident that theseloops may be formed in different courses, that is to say on one side ofthe hand or finger strips, the inter-engaging or uniting loops may beformed in one course and then in the successive or a subsequent coursethe opposite edges of said strips may be united in the same manner, thuseffecting a staggering of the uniting loops at opposite edges of thestrips.

Logically the number of intervening courses betweenthe uniting loops maybe varied according to the size of the glove or length of the fingers,or according to the texture of the fabric, for instance if a glove offine texture is being knitted u on the machine, uniting loops may beormed very much nearer together than Where the texture of the glove isvery coarse. Furthermore the yarns composing the various sections of theglove may contrast in color, size or quality as desired.

Having thus disclosed one illustrative embodiment of my invention, Idesire it to be understood that although specific terms are employedthey are used in a generic and descriptive sense and not for the purposeof illustration, the scope of the invention being set forth in thefollowing claims.

Claims:

1. As an article of manufacture, a glove blank consisting of a singlelongitudinal strip having finger strips, each twice the length of thefinger and folded transversely at the tip, and means inte rally uniting,at predetermined intervals, t e edges of the folds of said fingerstrips.

2. As an article of manufacture, a love blank consisting of a singlelongitu inal strip having folded finger strips, and means integrallyuniting, at intervals, adjacent edges of the folds of said fingerstrips.

3. As an article of manufacture, a love blank consisting of a singlelongitu inal strip having finger strips, each twice the length of thefinger and folded transversely at the tip, and loops formed uniting atpredetermined intervals, the edges of the folds of said finger strips.

.4. As an article of manufacture, a glove blank consisting of a singlestrip having opposite selvaged dges with finger strips each havingselvaged edges and each being of twice the length of the fingers, andmeans integrally uniting, at predetermined intervals, correspondingselvaged edges of the folds of said finger strips.

5. As an article of manufacture, a glove blank consisting of alongitudinal strip substantially the Width of the hand and includingfront and back hand coverings and double length finger strips foldedtransversely at the tips, and loops formed at predetermined intervalsuniting adjacent opposite edges of said hand and finger strips.

6. As an article of manufacture, a glove blank consisting of a singlelongitudinal strip including front and back hand coverings, and fingerstrips, each being twice the length of the finger and foldedtransversely at the tip, the Wrist portion of said hand covering beingfashioned, and means integrally uniting, at predetermined intervals. theedges of said hand coverings and said finger strips.

7. As an article of manufacture, a knitted glove consisting of a singlelongitudinal oppositely selvaged strip including double length fingerstrips each having opposite selvaged edges, said finger strips beingtransversely folded at their tips, the folds of said strips beingcorrespondingly tapered throughout their lengths by narrowing andWidening, said hand and finger strips being seamed along their oppositeedges.

8. A knitted glove blank having oppositely selvaged front and back handcoverings and oppositely selvaged front and back finger coverings,respectively united by loops formed at predetermined intervals alongopposite edges thereof.

9. A knitted glove blank having oppositely selvaged front and back handstrips, op ositely selvaged front and back finger strips knittedintegral with said hand strips, the tips of said finger strips beingfashioned, loops formed at predetermined intervals to unite correspondinortions of said front and back hand and finger strips, a thumb stripknitted integral with said front hand stri twice the length of the thumband fol ed transversely at the tip, and loops formed at predeterminedintervals, uniting corresponding edges of said thumb strip.

10. A knitted glove blank having a double length thumb strip foldedtransversely at the tip and fashioned at said tip, and loops formed inand by the knitting operation at predetermined intervals along oppositeedges of said thumb strip uniting the folds of said thumb strip.

11. A knitted g ove blank having oppositely selvaged front and back handstrips and a plurality of double length transversely folded overlappingfinger strips knitted integral with and uniting said front and back handstri s, said hand strips and the folds of said nger strips beingintegrally united by loops formed at predetermined intervals alongopposite edges thereof.

12. That method of knitting a glove or like hand covering which consistsin knitting a fiat oppositely selvaged strip substantially the width ofthe hand and constituting one side of the hand, knitting integrally withsaid side of the hand fiat selvaged digit strips each beingsubstantially twice the length of their respective dlgits, unitingcorres onding portions of said digit strips at pre etermined intervalsby narrowing and Widening, and finally knitting integral with said digitstrips as a fiat oppositely selvaged strip the other side of the hand.

13. That method of knitting a glove or like hand covering which consistsin knitting reciprocatingly upon a series of needles an oppositely sevaged strip substantially the width of and constituting one side of thehand, and in withdrawing at predetermined intervals certain end needlesof said series and in causing said end needles to retain their loops;knitting integral with said side of the hand, upon selected groups ofneedles, flat double length, selvaged digit strips, and in causingcertain end needles of said selected groups to be withdrawn from actionbut retaining their loops during the knitting of a portion of saidstrips, and in restoring said needles during the knitting of theremaining portions of said digit strips to effect the formation of digitstrips, each including transversely doubled substantially coextensivefolds having their edges united at predetermined intervals; and finallyknitting integral with said digit strips a fiat oppositely selvagedstrip constituting the other side of said hand and in causing the endneedles retracted during the length selvaged digit strips foldedtransversely at the tips at least one of said strips having loops formedat predetermined points integrally uniting the edges of said strip.

In testimony whereof, I have signed my name to this specification.

GEORGE P. BOSWORTH.

Certificate of Correction.

It is hereby certified that in Letters Patent No. 1,413,314, grantedApril 18, 1922, upon the application of George P. Bosworth, of CentralFalls, Rhode Island, for an improvement in Knitted Gloves end Methods ofMaking Same, an error appears in the printed specification requiringcorrection as follows: Page 4, line 59, claim 3, after the word formedinsert the words from the yam of said strips and that the said LettersPatent she'eld be read with this correction therein that the some mayconform to the record of the case in tho Phtent Oifiee.

Signed and sealed this 6th day of Jena, A; 1)., 1922.

' WM- A. KUHHLII,

Hating O'ommiuaiomr Pait te.

